During the past few weeks, we have seen tons of news about problems we are facing related to gender. From cases about harassment to funding gaps, we have seen it all. And one of the biggest stories actually came from TikTok.
Gender Inequality in NCAA
With the start of March Madness, viewers and followers of the sport got the behind-the-scenes look at the differences women and men are experiencing with the NCAA. In short, the NCAA screwed over the women college athletes with literally everything while they prioritized the men college athletes. Starting with the training rooms and going all the way down the line to the food, the women clearly were not having the same treatment as the men according to Sedona Prince who plays for the University of Oregon.
Sedona Prince first posted a video on TikTok showing us the differences the men and women are experiencing. While the NCAA has semi-corrected the wrongs they made, Prince is continuing to document their experience with the NCAA on TikTok as her team progresses in the tournament. For the most part, the women have received the equipment and food they deserve. However, the fact that this was even a problem made me question why the NCAA even made this mistake to begin with.
Title IX
After searching on their website, I found some frequently asked questions about their Title IX benefits. They state that under Title IX, there will be “equal treatment of female and male student-athletes.” This treatment includes food, finances, equipment, etc. Anything and everything that was provided to the men and women playing in March Madness was supposed to be equal. We saw differently, and unfortunately this has been going on longer than anyone would like to admit.
After the NCAA gender inequality scandal blew up in the media, we were able to really look at the NCAA and other organizations through a clear lens. And that made the NCAA President, Mark Emmert tremble. Weeks following the scandal, Emmert was forced to make a statement about it. Emmert said that the NCAA would review what went wrong and why it went wrong. And we want to know that too! Why would the NCAA mistreat the women in Basketball to begin with? Well, I think the answer is because they weren’t paying attention to the details that mattered. They were paying attention to the differences in the weight rooms or the food. And that is where we, as a society, need correcting.
What You can Do to Help
The sad truth of the matter is that gender inequality is everywhere in the business world, but we don’t pay attention long enough to see it. I don’t even see it most of the time because this is the reality that I live in. This is not to say that men suck, and they don’t deserve to be on platforms—no. But just the fact that when you think of a CEO, a male in a suit pops into your mind is proof enough that there is a problem.
From women finding a job to what they should and shouldn’t wear to inequality in pay, women are constantly being found as the underdog. But there are ways that you can fix that or at least help close that gap. You could hire more women and pay them the same as your male employees. You could make sure that your workspace is free of any negativity, meaning focus on creating a culture of belonging and acceptance for all your employees. You can help close the gender gap and support the females that aren’t treated equally.
The gender gap between males and females have been around since the beginning of time. I think that our generation is doing a good job at recognizing that these are fixable issues. We can see that the power struggle is real, and we have the chance to change that. So, start here.
What are your thoughts on the NCAA gender inequality scandal? Let us know in the comments below.
This article is originally published on GREY Journal.
